The Student Insurgent Issue 33.5 "Spring Into Action"

4 Uittip

B\stRGEN'T

April 2022: Sprinc into ACTION

APRIL 2022: LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Thank you for reading — J. Evus

Last issue, I let our readers
and our contributors down. T h
The events that followed e

brought insight and _ inspired

realizations about the Insurgent's

inadequacies that would not have

happened organically within

our organization, for reasons I

attempt to identify in writing

this letter. Following President

Schill’s email, the question most

commonly asked to us was how
could this even happen? The

question looming over our heads

was where do we go from here, if
anywhere? For a while, I didn’t have a precise answer; I was asking myself the
same thing. I do not claim to know the entire answer now. But in the weeks since,
I have been putting my thoughts to paper in an attempt to seek out the answers to
these questions. This letter discusses the harm our February 2022 issue inflicted,
how that act of ignorance is part of a larger problem, and what needs to change
for something like this never to happen again. Therefore, before I say anything
further I want to use this opportunity to personally, formally apologize to Dr.
Kevin Marbury and President Isaiah Boyd for our inexcusable portrayal of their
character, on behalf of the whole of the Insurgent. As Editor in Chief I carried
most of the responsibility in choosing to publish the sketch of Kevin Marbury and
Isaiah Boyd. The decision I made was misguided and I accept and bear the blame
for the reception of that image and its impact on the men depicted. Here I reckon
with the position I was in, still am in, as editor - from my perspective as editor- and
the institutional problems in the Insurgent that this position perpetuates.

When I first saw the sketch to accompany the ASUO article, a feeling of
doubt struck me. I chose to ignore this hesitation because I trusted the artistic
judgment of my comrade who drew it. I'd take back that choice if I could, but no
amount of remorse can undo what we did or change the past. We can, however,
learn from it. Despite the grief incurred by the publication of that image, I am
grateful for what resulted in the aftermath. The cartoon’s consequences catalyzed
long-overdue changes in our organization. The way I see it—and I say this with
all due respect to my fellow collaborators—the Insurgent as I found it in Fall of
2019 was in a state of dysfunction. I seldom experienced the collectivism that
was advertised and promised by my comrades, not until enough time passed
that veteran members started imparting more responsibility on me. As a writer, I
couldn't help but notice that I was often one of, if not the only, women in the room
at this time. It was predominantly white, too. Communication consisted of crossed
wires. In hindsight, it’s no stunner that white and male supremacy pervades in our
space, since other backgrounds and perspectives were such a minority and we
have lacked a cohesive, collective vision.

Through the years I have grown increasingly disturbed and disenfranchised
by the complete and utter lack of diversity (both in identity and ideology) within
our own newsroom and indeed in Eugene's entire “radical” scene. It mystifies me
how comrades that champion anti-racism, anti-homophobia, anti-transphobia,
anti-patriarchy, anti-capitalism, anti-imperialism —you name it— and stand on
progressive platforms fail to meaningfully recognize and contend with how these
systems are embedded in their very being. This scene is so shrouded in theory
and plagued by posturing that it has lost touch with reality. We are so preoccupied
with criticizing institutions that we don’t pause and introspect long enough to
apply this same critical lens to ourselves.

I say this with love: the Insurgent was, and really still is, riding on a radical
legacy shadowed by unaddressed systemic problems that have disempowered its
impact and destabilized its function for the past several years. It’s true that running
an activist newsletter is no easy task, let alone navigating the interpersonal and
intersectional politics that come with the territory. So, not long after becoming
editor I realized the Insurgent could only hope of functioning more effectively
if we dismantled its most inefficient and self-destructive qualities, starting by
communalizing leadership. I aspired for an Insurgent that reflexively embraces a
diversity of perspectives— not the myopic echo chamber that festered for the first
years of my involvement. I wanted it to be a platform for personal empowerment
and critical reflection and expression. I wanted our ideologies and our praxis
to grow with, adapt to, and reflect the increasing diversity of voices I began to
see in the ROAR center. I had foolishly hoped that a new editor could simply
alleviate our old problems within the structure of our organization. Obviously,
this is not the case. It’s not as simple as a fresh start. Hierarchies are an inevitable
part of all social organizations, even ones with expressly anti-hierarchical values
or missions. Groups must have systems in place that help prevent this from
happening. Failing this, the Insurgent and other groups I’ve been a part of lack
the tools needed to uproot the weeds of power structures. Hierarchy creeps up; it
is alluring, with promises of power and social capital, and it takes conscientious
effort for organizers not to fold to temptation.

Stude
nsu

A bulk, but not all, of our
fundamental problems can be
traced to these power differentials.
I have seen hierarchy at work my
entire time with the Insurgent,
the norm being that the editor
bears responsibility for the bulk
of the duties and therefore makes
most of the decisions. In absence
of delegation, the editor obtains
a lot of institutional knowledge,
and if not communalized these
skills can be inadvertently
gatekept, forming a rift between
editor and collective. When I
was nominated for Editor in Chief, I was truly aghast by how much work and
responsibility falls to this role. The model is entirely untenable; the responsibility
snowballs fast— after a few issues of me juggling all the paper’s moving parts I
realized how unsustainable this model is on multiple fronts.

Under this leadership structure so much of each new issue depends on
the editor’s organizational ability. This was fine when there were six of us, but
this system imploded as our numbers grew. Until now, there weren't really any
formal leadership roles outside of editor in chief and the prison project liaison
(and an art director of sorts, sometimes), and before I became editor and our
group grew, I hadn't questioned this. Why assign designated art editors, web
editors, formatting editors, copy editors, etc.? Wed always simply taken help as
it came and gotten by. Perhaps I didn’t question it because this informality on
the surface appears to be in line with stereotypical anarchist organizing, lacking
designated roles typically associated with institutional structures. But in actuality,
this undermines anarchism’s central aim towards collectivism and autonomy
by defaulting so much power and responsibility on the few explicit roles. Under
this model, burnout is inevitable, and the structure and cohesion of the collective
crumbles as the editor folds under the weight of the work. No one can contribute
their best in this dynamic.

Fundamentally, this is an issue of delegation. I've never known an Insurgent
where all the major decisions about its operations aren't ultimately funneled to the
Editor in Chief. It goes without saying how problematic this leadership model
is.This must be picked apart and critically evaluated. It is hypocritical to make
a claim to radicalism when our group cannot even identify and confront power
imbalances within its own member make-up. Because responsibility and trust are
so centralized, we've ended up alienating ourselves from our own contributors and
community. Therefore, oftentimes the work we produce says more about the [lack
of] efficacy of our leadership and our organization's operations than it does about
the talent and passion of our contributors. All the other amazing work featured
in the February issue was undermined by the recklessness of a few individuals
with the most decision-making power. This autocratic production process fails to
adequately represent and celebrate the work and heart that our collective pours
into every issue.

Beyond the structural inadequacies of the Insurgent we must also address
a critical theoretical and practical concern in modern social movements. We must
realize that as privileged members of the university institution, we are not solely
here to learn. We must also unlearn. Unlearning is a process that requires grace,
humility, and honesty. We cannot posture behind our causes and pretend we can do
no wrong. As activists it is important to be able to swallow your pride and not hide
behind your politics. This is central to a larger conversation about accountability
in activist spaces. Perhaps the most important part of actualizing justice is
practicing radical accountability within your own community, accountability
towards communities you aim to defend, and towards those you may at times be
ideologically opposed to.

Accountability looks like facing your fuck-ups and shortcomings to
actively correct yourself and prevent future harm by unlearning problematic
patterns. Recent events forced me to contend with my own culpability and
complicity within the dynamics of the group that made it possible for something
like this to happen. This is where the matter of intent complicates the harm
caused by a person or group’s actions. Too often I have forgiven acts of harm
on the grounds that the person responsible didn’t intend for their actions to
have harmful impacts. Because of this, I have excused sexism against myself,
transphobic microaggressions against my comrades, or, in this instance, anti-
Blackness against Isaiah Boyd with little to no consequence. I excused this
because I believed intentions were pure. “But they didnt mean it that way...” That
does not matter. What must take precedence is demanding responsibility for an
action’s impacts, regardless of intent. This requires having the bravery to call out
problematic behaviors when they happen, a courage I have regrettably lacked. I,
and my peers, can do better. The uncomfortable truth is that someone can have
the most virtuous of politics, of values, of intentions and motivations and still
exhibit behavior that works to uphold structures of oppression and undermine

Ee
est. 1986

Continues on pg. &...

Solidarity with Save the Urban Farm!

Students dissent against latest university development scheme.

By: Nicholas

The Urban Farm has been a center
for community and ecological knowledge
sharing at the University of Oregon for
decades. Now, in the wake of a second
500 million dollar donation by Phil and
Penny Knight, construction for phase 2 of
the Knight Campus has brought the farm
under the chopping block.

The student-led organization
Save the Urban Farm has been leading
opposition to the project. Their main
concerns lie in
the use of the

known as_ the
40 as a staging
area during

construction, and
in impact on the
eastern border.
The construction,
planned to begin
January 2023,
also will have the
consequences
of blocking
morning sun
from reaching parts of
the farm, the use of the area between
the woodshop and the fine arts studio
as a utility tunnel, as well as further
construction-related disturbance (dust,
noise, stress/damage to plants and native
species who live on the farm).

This is not the first time the
farm has come under threat. In 1986,
the University hoped to develop similar
large research buildings in the North
Campus space, but facing resistance from
members of the architecture department,
coupled with pushback from students,
the University redirected development
elsewhere.

In the time since “86 the program
has grown immensely. It sees over 300
students throughout a typical school
year, with classes tending to fill up within
hours of open registration. It has acted
as a model for urban farm programs at
universities across the country. The ‘20
and ‘21 harvests yielded hundreds of
pounds of fresh produce for donation to
students and community members. The
farm is known for working closely with
local organizations such as the Willamette
Farm and Food Coalition, FOOD for Lane
County, Huerto de la Familia, and The
School Garden Project of Lane County.

It is a program that uses every foot of the
space they have available to them; any
reduction would come as a major setback.

As the plans are drawn, a large
strip of the eastern border (home to
garden beds, bee hives, a mushroom area,
and cedar, English walnut, persimmon,
and apple trees) is to be absorbed by
the development. While protecting this
space would consist of convincing the
University to redraw the footprint of a
half billion dollar project, preventing the
temporary use of the back 40 as a staging
area would mean only selecting another
nearby space.

The back 40 holds almost half of
the farm's usable garden space, including
over 30 producing orchard trees, over
a dozen Port Orford cedars, and garden
beds used to grow vegetables and
perennials. The space has been built up
and cultivated by the farm over the past
30 years.

Mitigating measures suggested
by the University offer for the trees in the
back 40 to be uprooted and temporarily
relocated (for those whose size allow).
This would result in great stress to the
trees, from which they could take years
to recover. With alternative options for a
staging area nearby, the prioritization of
slightly increased ease of access during
construction over the health of the farm is
a key point of concern among community
members.

At a town hall meeting held the
last Wednesday
concerning the
future of the
Urban Farm,
the Dean of
the College of
Design, Adrian
Parr, suggested
relocating the
Urban Farm
entirely. Audience
members
responded with
discomfort to
a compromise,
emphasizing
work that took place over
decades to build the healthy, enriched
soil that is the basis for life on the farm.

As one attendee noted, the
University’s ‘incorporation’ of student
feedback at the back end of the decision
feels disingenuous. The impacts
on the Urban Farm were known
from the beginning of the planning
process, as well as the significance of
the Urban Farm to the community.
Only now, post-decision, are students
given space to voice their concerns.

On April 6th the ASUO
(Associated Students of the University of
Oregon) held a meeting that included the
unanimous passing of a resolution stating
the body’s “opposition to any future
development of the Knight Campus that
jeopardizes the Urban Farm's ability to
continue its current operations as usual, in
its current location,’ as well as demanding
transparency and the inclusion of students
and relevant faculty in conversations
concerning the future of the farm. The
body pointed out that student turnout for
the meeting was the largest they've seen
for an ASUO senate hearing.

Decisions around the specific
impacts on the farm are still developing,
with the Landscape Architecture
department and the Campus Planning
Committee in talks to figure out the
degree to which mitigating measures will
be taken.

Community pressure will be the
most important factor in determining the
future of the farm. To find information
on how you can get involved with Save
the Urban Farm, they can be found on
Instagram @savetheurbanfarm or at their
website www.savetheurbanfarm.com.

of March

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URBAN FARM COMMUNITY ACTION EVENT
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help with preparahons!

FOSSIL FREE FUTURES Now

By Matthew O-G & Insurgent Staff Writers www.solidaritynews.org

Wednesday afternoon April 6th students and community members
rallied in front of the EMU to demand the University of Oregon move
off fracked gas and electrify its infrastructure. They also continued to
call on the City of Eugene to ban the use of so-called “natural gas” in
newly constructed buildings, and transition to the use of electricity for all
buildings.

The event was organized by UO Climate Justice League's Fossil
Free UO campaign. Fossil Free UO was started at the end of last school
year coming out of Divest UO, which put pressure on the UO Foundation
to divest from fossil fuels. After UO foundation leaders said its fossil
fuel investments will be expiring soon and will continue to be divested
according to their Environmental, Social, & Governance investment
policy, Climate Justice League began Fossil Free UO to have the University
move its infrastructure entirely off of fossil fuel sources. Currently they are
focusing on switching the so-called “natural gas” boilers to electric boilers,
which make up about 91% of the campus’s heating. In total, natural gas
equipment accounts for 79% of the UO’s emissions.

The crowd held up signs painted by students in Climate Justice
League, with messages like “Invest in our Future’, “Just Transition NOW’,
“Fossil Fuels Kill’, and “Students for a Fossil Free UO” while speakers
took to the mic. In addition to Climate Justice League, the rally featured
speakers representing Sunrise Eugene, 350 Eugene, Fossil Free Eugene
Coalition, OSPIRG , Save the Urban Farm, and the Progress UO ASUO
campaign.

Climate Justice League members asked, “Why is a fossil free
campus important to you?” and read student, alumni, and community
testimonials. Bryn Callie read one alumni’s response to the question, “For
the obvious reasons- we live in 2022.”

“Is this affordable? Is this feasible? And obviously, yes, but I think
it’s time for us to flip the question. Is it affordable to not transition? Is it
feasible to live in an [uninhabitable] environment because of our climate
crisis? No,’ David Lefevre of Fossil Free UO said Wednesday.

Fossil Free UO stands in partnership with Fossil Free Eugene,
which was started in 2020 to bring together activist efforts to make sure
the city fulfills its stated climate efforts. Fossil Free Eugene scored a win
last November when Eugene City Council voted to hold work sessions
on electrifying the city. Their demands are: To ban the construction of all
new fossil fuel infrastructure in the city; to levy a fee on NW Natural and
other polluting corporations to create a fund to transition low income
and historically marginalized communities from fracked gas to electric
appliances, and to retrofit homes to increase efficiency; and to transition
all utilities in the City to 100% renewable energy by 2030.

Climate Justice League meets on Tuesdays at 6pm in the EMU
Diamond Lake room. Besides the Fossil Free UO campaign, the group
also runs a forest defense campaign and produces the podcast called
“Climate Justice Network.” Learn more about Fossil Free Eugene at their
website fossilfreeeugene.org.

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE CAFFEINATED!

By: Matthew-OG, Solidarity News

This article was originally published on 04/14/2022 at www-solidaritynews.org

In a unanimous vote, workers at the
29th & Willamette Starbucks store officially
won a union Wednesday afternoon. There
were 17 yes votes, zero no votes, and no
contested ballots. The bargaining unit
contains 28 people in total for the new
union.

Workers and supporters gathered
at the GTFF office to watch the ballot
count over Zoom. The process was very
deliberate, with a National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB) employee opening the return
envelope. Next they presented the secrecy
envelope, then they verified the
ballots all the while methodically
showing the observing parties each
step. Finally when the workers
realized they had a majority of votes
they were overjoyed and embraced
in a group hug.

“It's really just the sense of
relief. [We] don't have to stress about
the vote anymore. Now getting ready
for bargaining,’ said Jake LaMourie,
a worker at the 29th & Willamette
Starbucks.

29th & Willamette became
the first Starbucks store in Oregon

By: Dorian Blue

On February
28th, President
Schill sent a
campus-wide
email, sharing
that he had
“exciting news
to share about
the future of the University of Oregon.” Many
speculated what it could be about, though most
rightly assumed it was hinting at a large donation.
The next day, as promised, it was revealed that
Steve and Connie Ballmer, former CEO of
Microsoft and UO trustee respectively, gave

Palestine: A Homeland Denied
‘Palestinian
Day of Remembrance:
Al ‘Nakba

Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights

Art display!
Food!
Music!

Wednesday, May 18th

UO EMU Lease Crutcher Lewis room @ 4-7 pm

to file for a union on January 7. Since then
every other Starbucks store in Eugene has
filed for a union election. The workers
joined 19 other shops across the country
that formed a union with Workers United,
an affiliate of SEIU.

If the other Eugene stores vote in
favor of a union, the 29th & Willamette
workers say they plan on bargaining
together with those stores, while still each
having separate contracts.

The NLRB has sent out ballots
to workers at all seven other Eugene
Starbucks stores and the board will
count the votes over the coming
weeks. Ballots for the workers at the
7th & Washington, Delta & Green
Acres, EMU, Franklin & Villard,
and Oakway Mall Starbucks will be
counted by the agency on April 28.
Workers at Valley River Drive and
W. 11th & Acorn Park Starbucks
will have their ballots counted by
the NLRB on May 5.

Photos: Matthew O-G

BALLMER BLITZ

Make sure to check out our Rogues Gallery!

around half a billion dollars to start the Ballmer
Institute. The Institute will be located on the
campus of former Concordia University, outside
of Portland. It will be focused on child behavioral
science, with the goal to provide new behavioral
and mental health care for children in the state of
Oregon through its research. While this project
has been lauded as an amazing development, it’s
important to consider the history of the Ballmers’
donations and interests, along with the dubious
nature of such philanthropic efforts overall. The
Oregon public school system has some of the
lowest per-student spending and teacher wages
in the entire country, but instead of enacting
meaningful change to make the overall system
better, the Institute will serve as a reminder
of half-measures and performative actions
that don’t enact any meaningful change. A
society marred by wealth inequality will not
be remedied by the rich deciding to dole out
portions of their money, no matter how large
or “significant” the gifts may seem.

One place where the Ballmers have |
continuously funneled their money is the
organization Stand For Children (STF). |
While on the outside it appears to advocate
for diversity and equity in public education, it
is merely a vehicle to support increasing the |
power of charter schools and to undermine
teacher unions. A former parent volunteer,
writing for the Washington Post, explained
how she witnessed the organization operating
in a top-down manner, with volunteers
expected to parrot questionable talking points
to parents and teachers, while leadership |
worked to support and fund legislation that
I“ tied the release of much-needed school |
funding to the expansion of private schools,

online learning, and other so-called ‘reforms’”
| STF has also supported political campaigns, |

4

LU

such as a 2016 Washington state election 7

for Supreme Court Justice, where they spent
$116,000 on Greg Zempel, running against
Justice Barbara Madsen, who authored a decision
that ruled charter schools unconstitutional.

With this background in mind, it’s hard
not to see what ulterior motives are present in the
formation of the Institute, far beyond the mission
of simply helping children and furthering
research. The University of Oregon itself, though
a public institution, has also been under a
process of privatization over the last decade. A
clear agenda then shapes itself: the mixing of
private money and public resources to create a
Frankenstein monster of billionaire ideals forced
upon a populace who have little power and
resources to fight for a system that will actually
support the children of Oregon.

2 DAYS :

May Day is a celebration of Spring
and remembrance of
Haymarket and the continued
labor struggle

May 1st May 3rd "|
Join us at Park Blocks Starting 2:30PM at the |
(8th and Oak) EMU amphitheater

with free music, games
plants, workshops, and
screen printing.
Wear a costume to be
entered to win prizes!
12PM onward!

"If you think that by hanging us
you can stamp out the labor
movement... then hang us!"

We won 8 hours,
we can win the rest

Music, dancing, tablin
food, raffle, speak

WAR Is War: The Normalization of War in the Global South

By: banzai

Art: @thosebeyonddrunk/Calize

Article continues on pg. 8

Over the past few months,
we've seen the West come together and
condemn Russia for its atrocities in
Ukraine. Within days of the invasion
into Ukraine, we saw sanctions
introduced, travel restrictions set,
and businesses pulling out of Russia.
Multiple Western nations have donated
billions of dollars and weaponry to
Ukraine. It’s interesting to observe
how the West decides which crises are
worthy of foreign aid.

But, where were all of these
nations during the Taliban’s takeover
in Afghanistan? Or the Saudi-led
attacks in Yemen? Or when the Israelis
kick Palestinians out from their own

homes? The list of nations abandoned §

by the West goes on.

Lets take a look at
Afghanistan’s situation. By the end
of August 2021, just a month after
US troops were pulled out of the
nation, the Taliban had taken over.
The Taliban's takeover led to the
displacement of millions of innocent
people and other human rights issues.

Comparing
response towards the Ukrainian
and Afghan invasions exposes the
hypocrisy of the West, or perhaps the
overall desensitized attitude towards
non-whites. Our news feeds have
been flooded by images of destroyed
buildings and people hiding in bomb
shelters ever since the invasion
took place, a reality many Afghans,
Syrians, Iraqis and Palestinians have
been living through for decades. Not
only has media coverage of these crises
differed greatly, but so has the response
of Western nations to refugees. As of
early April, over 4 million refugees
have fled from Ukraine, with most
fleeing into western Europe. The
United Kingdom started a family visa
program to help Ukrainians who have
extended family residing in the UK.
The United States has been easing
restrictions for Ukrainians stranded at

international \

the Mexican border. Although it’s great
to see nations opening their borders
for the Ukrainian people, it’s time to
change the way the West responds to
refugees of color. It's not just Afghan
refugees that weren't met with the same
response that Ukrainians received:
Middle Eastern, Latin American and
African victims of war are often met
with stricter immigration regulations,
harsher visa requirements and
militarized borders.

In March, the United States

said they would accept 100,000
Ukrainian refugees. Over the past 20
years, the United States has resettled
about 97,000 Afghan refugees. This
double standard that Western nations
hold against the global south (nations
that have less economic development
- including most of Asia, Africa, Latin
America, South America and Oceania)
has to stop. War is war, if you're going to
condemn it then you have to condemn
it everywhere. The way displaced
people are treated should not be

dependent on their religion, skin color
or any other factor. For centuries, the
United States has restricted the amount
of refugees from entering, with reasons
usually rooted in bigoted and racist
justification: first the employment
restrictions against the Irish, then the
ban of Chinese immigrants, and now
the selectivness over which refugees
should be granted entry.

Another thing to take notice of
is the hypocrisy of the West. Take the
example of Israel; in March and April

of 2022, the Israeli foreign minister
publicly condemned Russia for the war
crimes they have committed in Ukraine,
specifically condemning the killing
of civilians and the illegal invasion of
Ukraine. Isn't this exactly what Israel is
doing to Palestine? Israeli forces have
been illegally entering into the state
of Palestine and Palestinian controlled
land for over 70 years, displacing people
from their homes, and killing civilians.
The West is quick to condemn Russia
for committing these atrocities (and

rightfully so), yet they turn a blind eye
to Israel committing the same crimes.
Once again, war is war, and nations
cannot be selective about when or
where they denounce it.

A final thing to take into
account is the difference in word choice
that Western media uses to describe
these conflicts. When describing an
attack in a white country, the media
talks about how “unexpected” the
event was. When describing an attack
in a black or brown country, the media
strips humanity out of the issue by
resorting to casual racism and bigotry.
A CBS News anchor was recently
under fire for saying, “But this [Kiev]
isn't a place, with all due respect, like
Iraq or Afghanistan [...] You know,
this is a relatively civilized, relatively
European.” ‘Civilized’? This is yet
another dehumanization of people
of color in mainstream Western
and American media. Downplaying
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
while comparing them to an equally
devastating war in Ukraine, is
completely irresponsible. Although
this particular news correspondent
did receive extensive backlash for
his backwards and bigoted thinking,
there are so many Americans that

| think in the same way. No matter
| where one stands politically, there is a

sense of normalcy of war in black and
brown nations.

Over the course of my life,
and probably yours, there has been
war in the Middle East, civil war in
Africa, and major political instability
in Latin America. In many of these
conflicts, the United States, the United
Kingdom or France has intervened in
some form, only resulting in negative
effects for the inhabitants of these
places. The United States has much to
be blamed for wars in the Middle East
and the political instability of Latin
America. France has caused political
and historical damage to the entirety

UKRAINE: ATROCITIES, (MIS)INFORMATION, AND COLD WAR 2.0

For most people not plugged into geopolitical
affairs, the news about the Russo- Ukrainian War may
have slowed down on the timeline. With an initial
blitz running headfirst into a brick wall of resistance
and operational failure, the fronts have stagnated into
a grinding slog, as Russias military looks to lick its
wounds and consolidate hold over the territory it now
occupies. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
has become a media darling and a living symbol of
liberal democracy to millions of people. Multiple
other nations now stand poised to join NATO. Russia
has been hit with devastatingly punitive sanctions
that have shunted them out of the most lucrative
markets, and travel between Russia and the western
world has been all but suspended. It is clear that a
new global paradigm is manifesting before our eyes,
though arguably it could be said that this is merely the
geopolitical gloves coming off, and a formalization of
what was previously an implicit state of affairs.

Accusations of genocide ring out on both
sides, as Russia doubles down on its message of
“denazifying” Ukraine, and Ukraine fires back with
reports of war crimes in Russian-occupied territories.
Russian anti-war dissidents and independent media
outlets have been silenced, and Ukraine has outlawed
pro-Russian opposition parties. In a confusing
time, conflicting narratives have emerged. Is this a
necessary war to prevent NATO expansion? Or is it a
nakedly unprovoked imperialist invasion?

Under scrutiny, it becomes clear that

whatever claims the Kremlin and its media fronts
make, this war and its consequences are Russia's cross
to bear. War is the absolute evil of human life, make
no mistake, and Russian forces have transparently
targeted civilians. This is not just pointed out by
state or corporate press, but verified by open source
intelligence, or OSINT, a decentralized means of
gathering intel on a given situation, verified by direct
video evidence and eyewitness testimony. Countless
moments of these atrocities have been documented
for the world to see. Russian state media, on the
other hand, speaks of Ukraine in apocalyptic terms,
dismisses every atrocity as being perpetuated by
“crisis actors’, and denies the legitimacy of Ukraine's
very existence as an independent nation, while the
bodies of their own dead soldiers are quietly shipped
home, if they ever come home at all. These narratives
have spread beyond their own borders, and come
to dominate the western far right, as well as many
Marxist-Leninist circles.

This is not to say that Ukraine is entirely
without sin. The Azov Battalion, an infamous
Ukrainian national guard regiment with neonazi
symbols and members, has been documented
greasing their bullets with pig fat before going into
battle against Muslim Chechen soldiers. President
Zelensky has called repeatedly for NATO to institute
a No-Fly Zone, a decision that would precipitate a
drastic escalation of the conflict and possibly lead to
a third world war. Anyone who refuses conscription

6)

By: Red Harris

is imprisoned or worse. And, lest it be forgotten,
Ukrainian border guards have repeatedly and openly
discriminated against nonwhite (and especially
African and MENA) residents attempting to flee
an active warzone. These are acts for which those
responsible must face fair consequences.

But Russia shall not be the judge, jury, and
executioner. For whatever problems Ukraine may
have, Russia will not solve them, certainly not with
atrocities of its own. The far-right ethnonationalist
philosophy of Eurasianism has taken hold in the
Russian government and guides Putin's foreign policy,
and Russia regularly deploys neonazi militias of its
own abroad. If moral prescriptions must be applied,
then there may not be a “good” side in this conflict,
but there certainly is a bad one.

Do not get easily swept up into the
manufacturing consent machine of an imperialist
power. Think critically about what media and
informational sources you engage with. It is
paramount to do so in an age such as this. What may
be the last hurrah of American geopolitical relevance
is dawning as a result of Russia’s new status as a pariah
state, and the narratives coming out of this conflict
will have direct generational repercussions for tens of
millions of people.

Solidarity with the victims of imperialist aggression
everywhere.

Marta Lu Clifford is an enrolled member and tribal
, elder of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. In
1. addition, Clifford is a highly respected tribal elder within the
Kalapuya and UO Indigenous communities. Over the past
couple of years, Clifford has joined together with Lane
Community College Professor/Longhouse Director
Lori Tapenhanso of Navajo Nation and UO Theater
Arts Professor Theresa May to establish the Illioo
Native theater group, a group that tells traditional
Indigenous stories through the art of theater. The
Illioo group (with help from the NAIS ARC and
other community members) is hosting the upcoming
MMIWGz2S event on May 4. I was able to sit
down with Clifford and Dr. May to ask about the
upcoming MMIWG2S RedDress Poetry in the
Park event that the Illioo theater group is hosting on May 4th, and what they have
seen over the years done in the community in regards to MMIWG2S.

The inspiration for the event struck Clifford on an afternoon walk with
Dr. May in Alton Baker Park. As she walked, she envisioned red dresses hanging
from the trees, a vision that spoke to the many Indigenous souls lost to kidnapping
and violence, and as a form of connection to those souls. She also wanted to create
a community voice to advocate for MMIWG2S, “the inspiration for the RedDress
Poetry in the Park, is just wanting to give a voice and a presence to the missing
and murdered Indigenous women in Lane County because there has been nothing
done here, and I just felt like we need to be more vocal, and visible in Lane County
with MMIWG2S”

Dr. May agreed with that point, adding “as a non-native person I think
it’s super important for non-native people to be aware of the epidemic of violence
against indigenous people--it’s an epidemic that is rooted in the ongoing genocide
of settler colonialism, but it is one that is particular to the lived experience of
Indigenous women.”

This epidemic has been born from a legacy of colonial violence and theft.
From the beginning of colonial invasion, Indigenous women in particular have
been a target for chauvinistic violence. This invasion not only stole Indigenous
land but also generations of Indigenous lives and souls. MMIWG2S (Missing and
murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People) has been a problem
from the onset of colonialism, with the tragedy of Matoaka’s kidnapping by Samuel
Argall as one of the first recorded incidents in 1613. This issue has long persisted
within the settler-colonial state and today is an issue that contemporary media
tends to conveniently ignore. Even so, it is one of the most pressing and alarming
issues facing Indigenous women and communities all across Turtle Island today.

So what can be done by the UO and the greater Lane community? Dr.
May shared a way that the Illioo theater groups pays homage and how others could
follow, “Td personally like to see a public installation at the park or at least here
on campus that is a permanent commemoration, permanently calling attention to
that [MMIWG2S] , and then once a year gets celebrated on MMIWG2S day (May
5th). When we perform with our theater company we always have a chair that is
draped in red cloth or garment, and that is also something that all theater groups
could do. It could be done when President Schill is giving a speech, there could
be a chair with a red cloth or garment.” The ignorance of the university towards
Indigenous issues follows a pervasive trend. For example, Schill was incredibly
reluctant to rename University Hall (previously named Deady Hall), despite the
previous name coming from a racist chauvinist and in spite of student protests.
Additionally, when a faculty member at the university dressed in blackface, Schill
was remarkably slow to respond until nation-wide and student protests finally

TT eae |

Neighborhood Anarchist Collective
| Public Gathering |

| Sunday May 15th 5-7pm |

| Our Public
Gathering are a
place to welcome

| new people to
the collective and

| come together to
learn what people

| are working on,
gather advice,
and discus

| projects.

| Learn more: neighborhoodanarchists.org/public |
Contact us: contact@neighborhoodanarcists.org

ee ee eee eee ees Se

RedDress, Poetry, and the Fight Against Settler-

Colonialism’ Dystopia »;: jaye

forced a response.

Settler-colonialism has such pervasive effects, and as Dr. May brilliantly
put it in regards to MMIWG2S, “it’s so linked to the violence of settler colonialism
which is the ground that this nation-state stands on. It is a type of insidious
violence and it does violence to us all, native and non-native alike” She also
turned attention to the fact that Lane County is now recognized by the CDC
as a suicide cluster. The CDC defines a suicide cluster as “ a group of suicides
or suicide attempts, or both, that occur closer together in time and space than
would normally be expected in a given community”(CDC). The county has seen
rates of suicide doubling over the past 5 months, with many under 24 (KVAL).
This epidemic of suicide has led the CDC to give the univeristy and the county
more federal money. However as Dr. May says “It’s fascinating to me, because
if that’s a thing, if there’s federal money and the CDC calling the school district
because so many students and kids are taking their own life--which is tragic--then
the epidemic against native women should be addressed in that way, as they are
absolutely interconnected.”

A notable element of this event will be the red dresses and clothing
hanging from trees--the vision Clifford had. Tobacco wrapped in red cloth and
red ribbons will likely be given to all in attendance. The color red is, as Clifford
put it “the color that the spirits can see from the other side, so in that way, this
is not an event we do for the living, it is an event that is meant to speak across
the seeable world into the unseeable world--to cross over.” The motif of red is
continued in tobacco wrapped in red cloth, and key-chains created by members of
the Many Nations Longhouse community. The event will have an opening prayer,
drumming and singing. Then poetry will be read around the circle of trees in the
center of the park on two separate occasions, and anybody is welcome to share a
poem or song. RedDress concludes with a moment for attendees, if they wish, to
share the names of the missing and murdered people in their lives, Indigenous and
non-Indigenous alike. This includes people who might be living but spiritually
lost, such as those fighting addiction. The event will end with a healing prayer,
because as Clifford said, “when you say someone’s name youre putting it out to
the universe so that everyone can hold onto it, and maybe give them a prayer for
it:

Anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, and anti-fascist mindsets require hope
and revolutionary optimism in order to envision a better future, while always
acknowledging the material conditions around us that form the settler-state,
especially on top of the Kalapuya land in Eugene which we live and breathe on.
RedDress is a moment to recognize all the people that settler-colonial violence
has taken from the community, to connect those lives from the visible world to
the non-visible world, as well as to envision a future together free of this epidemic
of MMIWG2S and settler-colonial violence. This event will take place on May
4th at Heron Playground in Springfield at 5:00. Everyone, native and non-native
alike, is invited and welcomed to this event. So, come out and be there before
5 pm in solidarity with the Indigenous community of UO/Lane County! Stand
together and pay homage to those who we have lost to the parasite of settler-
colonialism; and to give acknowledgment to the insidious violence committed
against Indigenous women along with the ever-constant assault on Indigenous
poaes: minds, and souls by the dystopia of settler-colonialism. :

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i call it - seeing the privilege of the

oppressed while it’s not there q SH OW

am i wrong?

By: Paris

this belief, this idea, a sense of
community

found in the very place, you're not
supposed to be

It's like, white saviorism yet taken to this
max

When it’s not about you, you make it an
act

And as much as you claim otherwise
Doing this detracts

From the experience and lives of those
so much different

Is this done on purpose?

Might you make this deliberate?

Ifi got sent to war-but no you have not
You live in countries untouched by the rot
That has plagued countries year after

year

Yet you only now notice, only now turn
you ear

Stand with others, don’t make this your
own

For what you are doing shows an absence
of tone

Let other have their experience, and
don't make it yours

While you battle on twitter, others fight
wars

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Letter continued from pg. 2

‘ownership for the problems we have both individually and collectively
contributed to and then working with the community to develop a new:
model that adequately, actually prevents hierarchy from manifesting in:
the Insurgent.
This summary of my observations points to, I think, ai
: straightforward conclusion. The image should have never been :
: published. But it was. As sorry as we are, apologies are in vain if not :
: followed by radical change. The Insurgent must decentralize power :
: to justify any future for the publication. For too long, experience has :
: been leveraged by individuals to maintain leadership positions and }
: authority over the collective’s operations. Eradicating this structure :
requires that we dedicate more formal leadership positions, positions !
: that help facilitate the consensus of the whole group to ensure all :
: perspectives are represented in decision-making. Like the larger :
! Movement we all participate in, the Insurgent must be multi-faceted, !
: dynamic, and reflective of every individual constituting the collective :
in order to form a united front. Therefore, as of April 2022, Id like to
: officially dissolve the title and distribute the responsibilities of Editor :
: in Chief. Leadership should never fall on the shoulders of one person. :
: Not only is it unsustainable, but misrepresentative to have only one :
: figurehead for an organization with over thirty active members.
: Over the last few months, we have been developing new roles, policies,
: and procedures that would formalize participation and delegation :
: of responsibility across all facets of the newspaper, throughout the :
! entirety of the publication process. This process has demanded a lot :
: of vulnerability and long overdue confrontation, but through it all :
: I have seen a spirit of solidarity persist in this time of change. Our !
: organization's existence is indebted to the contributors and readers :
: that invest faith in its potential despite all its flaws. It owes its platform :
! today to the people that participate in it and continue to do so, to those }
: who did and walked away, to those that loathe it and those who love :
: it— the Insurgent will continue on for as long as people are willing to !
engage with it.
After February, I’ve wrestled heavily with whether we have the :
right or the platform to continue publishing at all. My own conclusion :
: is that if we didn’t publish it would mean that we succumbed to our :
i flaws instead of learning from and overcoming them. The group !
: consensus is to continue publishing work that accurately reflects :
our values and our mission, achievable through redistributing :
: responsibility to ensure more checks and balances and engender an :
: atmosphere of collaboration unprecedented in the recent history of :
: our publication. We are in a defining moment for our organization !
: where we must reckon with our past to shape our future. Our mistake :
: is an opportunity to finally address systemic problems in the Insurgent, :
: a chance for us to grow and change before we obsolesce like so many :
: movements that have succumbed to similar failings. Moving forward, :
: we are redefining what responsibility looks like in our group: creating !
: new roles and delegating duties, implementing structures that enforce :
: and uphold the collective’s values, and building trust and solidarity :
: within our group and the Eugene community by having the bravery to :
: be vulnerable and confront bigotry within our ranks. So, reader, thank :
! you for reading this far. And in the spirit of accountability, thank you !
: for expecting better from us— we must and we will use this moment :
: to do just that.
Solidarity, :
J. Ellis :

| The Lane branch of the Industrial Workers of the World present |

a free screening

ZAPATISTA

red NEARS OF THE ZAPATISTA UPRISING

7:00/ Wed May 4°

@McNeil house (NW Corner of 13" & Jefferson)

On New Years Day1994, the EZLN (Zapatista National Liberation Army)in armed rebellion
seized several towns in the Mexican state of Chiapas as a response to the implementation
of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) which was viewed as a “death sentence.”
Since then, these indigenous peoples have held the territories as autonomous Zones inspiring
millions worldwide and launched the anti-globalization movement against neoliberal policies.

Avlisyn Awoteness Maatin

War is War continued trom pg. 5
of western Africa. And then theres the British, who managed to colonize a quarter of the
world’s land mass, yet they still don't use seasoning on their food. For the past several
centuries, Western imperialism and intervention has consistently guaranteed a political
and humanitarian shitshow.

Returning to the hypocrisy of the West's response to war in the global south
versus the rest of the world, how many more humanitarian crises are needed before they
understand that war anywhere is unacceptable? No lives are expendable, and they should
not be treated as such. How many more Kiev’s and white cities need to be attacked before
we understand that all war is bad no matter who starts it or who the victims are? All
war is evil; selectively choosing who deserves refuge based on their identities is equally
evil. Skin color, religion or any part of a person's identity should not be a deciding factor
for granting refuge from conflict. Whether someone is fleeing from Honduras, Libya,
Afghanistan or Ukraine, all people deserve the same humanity and refuge.

In no way am I trying to compare tragedies, but am simply bringing light to an inconsistency in international response.

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| Hosted by:
Neighborhood
Anarchist Collective
I.W.W.
Eugene D.S.A.
The Insurgent

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POEMS BY SPOON JACKSON

No Moon

I was afraid this would
happen, the way the night
looks with no moon

‘The way the wind whistles
off the back porch.

You want to love me
How can I tell you

I have a life

but don’t have a life

What can I tell you
Shall I tell you about
the bars that don’t speak

or the razor wire

that longs to sever

the throat

or the cold winds

that bounce off the emptiness

Shall I tell you

about the trees 200 years away
across the river of electric wire
How the trees haunt me

like the smell of barbeque

the scent of a mountain meadow
the sight of crimson painted toes

Across the river, across the fields
across the hills
there is wine that belongs

"IMMA ES aie

What can I tell you
Shall I tell you about

¢ Prison Pal Sign Up,\ee

rs ~ Fill it out, cut it out, then mail it back to us using Toile soondeawe
the address on the back! ~ like a piece of hard

round candy

First di Last Name: I was afraid this would
happen, the way the night
_ feels with no moon,
é Current Mailing Address: the way the wind whistles off
ul
the back porch pushing
on the screen door
like ten cats, like ten mad
men fighting.
At Night I Fly
I go where the wind hides

Int rial uction: When it’s not blowing.

(Why do you want to be a pen pal? What are you looking for in a
pen pal? What resourcesshelp do you eed te start right now?)

I watch the clouds gobble

Up the moon.

I see my thoughts, my feelings,
My love crash

Like seas on ships.

I stand on top of swords and spears.

I walk up endless staircases and mountains
On the tips of giant nails

Drinking spirits out of huge goblets.

My heart pounds against no chest.
I know not what to tell it
Crowded in solitudes.

Too many souls alone to be

One body.

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The moon’s a defaced minted silver dollar.
It sleeps alone in its own universe

For more info, contact: Prisonprojinsurg@gmail.com No longer a star.

AEE EE SS SE SE SE |S HS TH

Today I died.
I died yesterday and tomorrow.
At night I fly.

10

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Anthology
of Art

by Spoon Jackson Zea

WE ARE NOT PROPERTY.

As she lay in the hospital bed in Kenya, it was painfully obvious that little
Mary would not survive her injuries. Burned in an accident with gas in the home
of her owners in Jordan, Mary was returned to her family in Kenya under the false
pretense that she was “okay.” But she was not okay. Mary Kibwana died of her
injuries. We “civilized” people like to believe that slavery is dead; it is not. It is alive
and robust we just use friendlier terms such as “domestic worker.”

In 2016, “domestic workers” arrived home from Lebanon dead at an
astonishing rate of two per week. Work is a big part of our lives and global poverty
forces some individuals into this modern-day slavery. Women from Africa, the
Philippines, or Bangladesh arrive in the Middle East similar to how kidnapped
Africans arrived on foreign shores. They are inspected, dehumanized, and stripped
of their possessions such as cell phones and passports. Once inside these houses
of horror, these women’s labor and sex become interchangeable commodities for
their masters. They are subjected to other forms of abuse as well.

After being slaves in the homes of their masters, some of these women
are emancipated without being compensated. The slave trade has always been

By: Tasha Brown

enormously prosperous and the powerful have no interest in challenging the
status quo because they stand to benefit from these commodified black and brown
bodies. So who will speak for the powerless?

I was eight years old when I realized that nobody was coming to save
me. At the mercy of someone stronger than me, I was stolen. Mutable voice of an
unrapeable female of African descent. Because of my trauma resilience, people
call me a “strong Black woman.” My vulnerability came with a superpower: I can
hear the secrets of other “unrapeable women,’ women that struggle for the need
to be comprehended as fully human, women from the U.S., Guatemala, the U.K.,
to Kenya! Women that are being beaten, kidnapped, raped, and murdered.

I could give you the statistics, but this isn’t about numbers or statistics.
You must feel this on a visceral level. Hear me when I tell you that I am the
commander of my body. To overcome systemic misogyny, women face cultural
and historical hurdles. We face hostility because of our yearning for agency. But
our agency is worth the cost because of its value. We are not property damn it.

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Denver, CO — On March 18th, a jury
acquitted anti-racist and anti-fascist
political prisoner Eric King on the
count of “assaulting” a federal officer.
CLDC is overjoyed at the return of
a not guilty verdict from the jury.
After hearing hours of compelling
testimony from King himself, the
jurors were rightly convinced of his
constitutionally protected rights to
defend himself against threat of death
or bodily injury, even when that threat
came from a corrections officer at the
Bureau of Prisons.

This victory belongs not only
to King, but to his family, community
of supporters, and most importantly to
all those who have fallen victim to the
horrific abuses and torture the Bureau

CAHOOTS joins the national Alternative Mobile Services Association

EUGENE, Ore. — ‘The Crisis
Assistance Helping Out On The Streets
program, also known as CAHOOTS,
has been running for over thirty years.
In the late 1980s, staff and volunteers
from White Bird Clinic, CAHOOTS’
parent organization, came together to
form the CAHOOTS model. This was
one of the first programs of its kind,
but recently similar models have taken
up in other cities as people across the
country recognize the urgent need
for trauma-informed mental health
emergency response.

In February of 2022, the Alternative
Mobile Services Association was
launched in a collaboration between
grassroots nonprofits, agencies and
government organizations from
across the nation who want to nurture
emergency response services oriented
to mental health in the United States.
The goal is to have an ongoing platform
so that people can better utilize and
share this practice-based evidence;
what people have been doing so far,
and how has that been working.

The CAHOOTS model consists of a
two-person team, a crisis counselor
and a medic, that respond to crisis
calls through the Eugene ambulatory-
fire-police dispatch line. In Springfield,
they are dispatched from the non-
emergency line. The CAHOOTS vans
run 24/7 in Eugene and Springfield,
Oregon. At any given time there are

of Prisons metes out on a daily basis in
facilities across the country.

CLDC_ executive director,
Lauren Regan was thrilled with the
verdict, stating “on behalf of the entire
CLDC team, we are thankful for the
trust and friendship that Eric King
shared with us and we feel fortunate
for the privilege to defend him and to
work with his family and community
in order to bring justice to light within
the confines of the federal Bureau of
Prisons. This was a long and arduous
battle against State power, and we
are appreciative for the jury’s earnest
deliberation.”

“When Eric made the decision
to fight back against these trumped-
up charges of assault brought against
him, he made the choice to extend
the same values of anti-racism and
anti-fascism that moved him to act in
2014 in solidarity with the uprisings
in Ferguson, Missouri, said Josh
Davidson, a member of the Eric
King Support Committee. This case
was fought not only with the goal of

never more than two active vans in
Eugene. In Springfield there is only
one van constantly on shift. Due to the
high demand and limited capacity, wait
times can be hours-long.
At CAHOOTS, Laurel Lisovskis fills
two essential roles. She is a crisis worker
and the clinical supervisor coordinator.
This means that she holds shifts on
the CAHOOTS vans and organizes
mental wellness support for her peers.
She also spoke at the recent Law and
Mental Health Conference on behalf of
CAHOOTS.
“Mobile crisis is weird because everyone
isn't hanging out in an office together,”
Lisovskis said in an interview. “It can be
kind-of a lonely job where you are in a
vacuum of a van for 12 hours with your
shift partner, and if you don't create
intentional spaces to be in community
with one another, I think that can be
kind of dangerous.”
Lisovskis said this work has historically
been lonely not only because of the
physical isolation but also because of
the unique and emotionally intensive
work that seemingly few people in
our society are willing to commit to.
Perhaps this won't be the case anymore.
The initiative meeting of
agencies within the Alternative Mobile
Services Association was held at the
beginning of February, at the 2022 Law
and Mental Health Conference, “On
Alternatives to the Police” The event

' Abolition in Action: Eric King Acquitted

12

returning King home to his family
without any additional years of his life
being stolen away, but with the goal
of holding the BOP accountable in
order to make that place survivable for
others by at least shedding light on the
secretive system of racism and abuse
that has been running rampant within
the BOP.

This outcome is even more
momentous given the government's
fierce opposition to King’s courageous
efforts to tell the world about his plight
and that of others held in custody.

Despite this victory, the
obstacles he continues to face are
immense. The BOP and the US.
Government continue to hold him in
some of the most inhumane conditions
throughout the system, with only
40 federal prisoners held in solitary
confinement for more than a year (Eric
King has been held in solitary for more
than three years).

CLDC will continue to fight
alongside Eric King for justice for

was coordinated by Jason Renaud, a
well-known nonprofit consultant with
over 35 years of open recovery from
alcoholism.
“There is a national effort going on in
dozens of different cities and counties
across the country to develop a model
of mobile outreach for people who are
in some kind of crisis, we often call
this a mental health crisis, said Jason
Renaud, who brought this association
together. “They are all trying to solve
the same problem, but they are all
working alone. So, the idea is that
through mutual support of these teams
across the country we can learn more,
faster, and get to that person on the
street who is in crisis more effectively.”
For the first time there is a
national link between these mobile
crisis intervention programs. They
can now share the experiences of trial
and error, get more quantifiable data
to show the success of their programs,
contrast the variations on models and
develop their services together.
One of the topics of debate among the
organizations is the qualifications for
being a crisis worker. Some models are
opting for exclusively licensed mental
health practitioners, but Chelsea Swift
of CAHOOTS explains that this is a
power dynamic which she actively tries
to avoid. Licensed practitioners have
the ability to diagnose and place a hold

Update by the Civil Liberties Defense Center

himself and others. In May 2021
we filed a federal civil rights lawsuit
on King’s behalf under Bivens v. Six
Unnamed Agents of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, 403 U.S. 388 (1971),
the Federal Tort Claims Act, and the
Administrative Procedure Act, against
the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
and numerous correctional officers and
BOP staff. The complaint alleges
that BOP officers have collaborated
with each other, and with white
supremacist prisoners, to target, harass,
and assault King.

“The truth prevailed today,’ said Lauren
Regan.

We are heartened by the
continued resilience and strength of
King’s certitude. He is scheduled for
release in 2023 and will continue to
rely upon outside supporters to make
it through. You can learn more about
ways to directly support him during
his remaining sentence by visiting
supportericking.org.

Photo: @supportericking on Instagram

By: Hana Francis

on someone which could mean forcing
someone to engage in care against their
will. The work that CAHOOTS does
makes sure that every service they offer
is voluntary.

“If people think, ‘at any given point this
person can throw me in the back of a
van and put me in a room with four
white walls and a padded bench,” said
Swift, “they are not going to engage
with you on the human level that we
get to engage at CAHOOTS. And I
think that keeps us safe too.”
Organizations like the Denver STAR
program, Atlantas PAD program, and
Oakland’s MACRO are among the 27
cities and agencies that have joined so
far.

The main goal of the Alternative Mobile
Services Association is to connect

organizations that are practicing
alternatives, but it also offers individual
memberships to anyone who _ is

interested in learning more about these
alternatives.

The membership system is designed
to be more accessible to people who
may be more likely to be impacted
by the increased availability of these
crisis alternatives. Discounted prices
are available for “peers” or students,
this means anyone who has lived
experience of mental illness, addiction,
or alcoholism and/or is a full or part-
time student.

FEATURE: RED HARRIS

It Wont Be Long Now

“It won't be long now,’ Bev murmured. She looked away from her phone and set it
down on the ground. No point in waiting for notifications.

“What?” asked Parker. He sat across from her on the floor, his head
perking up to catch her words.

“Oh, nothing, Bev said. “Pass me
the bottle, will you?” is

Parker nodded and obliged, taking ij
a swig of bourbon, sealing the bottle, and
rolling it across the floor to Bev. He turned
his head and hacked quietly at the sharpness -
on his tongue. an
Bev stopped its movement with her hand and
cradled the bottle in her hands. She examined
the glass, curved and sharp in places. The
flowing amber liquid rolled inside of it, #
barely glowing and shimmering in the light
of a nearby dim incandescent lamp.

“Well, if you're not gonna drink it, pass it :
back over,’ Parker huffed.
“Tm thinking”

“You can do that without the bottle =
in your hands.”

“Tll drink it,” Bev said, and she gulped it
down, trying to dodge the harsh taste. Her throat burned and glowed all the
way into her stomach and she set the bottle down hard on the wooden floor, and
the sound of it echoed minimally through the walls of the small apartment. She
hugged her flannel around her back. A clock on a shelf ticked ambiently.

“I mean, don't drink it like that,” Parker muttered, “you won't get the taste of it.”
“Like you seemed to enjoy it so much. And who drinks hard liquor for the taste,
anyway?” Bev scoffed and stood up.

“Alcoholics and bougie people.”

She shrugged and returned the bourbon to Parker. She was tempted to go over to
lift the curtain and look out the window, but decided against it. Quite literally, she
twiddled her thumbs.

“Are you seriously bored right now?” Parker asked.

“Tm restless. There's a difference.”

“Is there anything you want to talk about?”

“I dont know,’ Bev whispered.

“Better decide soon,’ Parker attempted a smile, but it fell away within moments.
“Seriously, though,” he said, earnestly this time, “if something’s weighing on
you—

Bev curtly interrupted him, asking, “why did you get into organizing work,
anyway?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

Parker shrugged and stumbled to his feet. “Well,” he started, “I mean, I’ve
kind of always felt a pull towards it, I guess. Seemed like the right thing to do. And
I wanted a better future for my community. I guess. What about you?”

Bev kept her gaze at the floor. “I got into it for you, remember?”

“Well, yeah. But you really cared, too, right?”

“Yeah,” Bev said. She got up and walked to the pantry. “But I was asking
you.

This is

“What're you looking for?” Parker called over.

“Chips,” she replied. “?m drunk now and I want fries, but that’s not
happening, so, whatever.” She found a bowl and poured a bag into it. “Want
anything?”

“Nah,” Parker shook his head. “’m good”

She returned with the plastic bowl, big in her hand, and sat down on
« the couch. He joined her and they were

there together. The lights flickered, for only a
moment.

“Probably a power plant somewhere,”
Parker murmured.

“How much time do you think we have
left?”

q “Not much?

Bev sighed, shivering a little. “I don't
think I'm hungry after all,’ she said, and set
the bowl over to the coffee table.

; “That's okay,’ said Parker.

: They sat there, quietly, for just a little
te & bit, before Bev spoke up again. “We spent so
= much time organizing, you know? Mutual

! ' _ ™ aid, direct action, the works.”

>= 7 “The works,’ he echoed.
—_.: * “T mean, sure, I did a bit, but you. God. You

=" threw your whole life into it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Parker looked away, at the

oo tenn eee ett NR
<= :

window now. “I guess so.”

“T just. I don’t know. If it was always gonna end like this, I’m not so sure I
would have spent so much time on it, is all” Bev craned her head back and stared
at the popcorn ceiling. She tried to make shapes in the dim light out of the bumps,
but nothing came to her vision. She looked over at Parker and tried to read his
face.

“IT would have,” he said. Through the curtains, the distant horizon got a
little brighter, then returned to normal.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“But think about it” she added softly, “All that time we spent. All the
things we didn't do. If this was inevitable, if it was all for nothing, what else could
we have done with our lives?”

Parker took a deep breath. “It wasn't for nothing. I’m happy with it, Bev.
We did what was needed. We helped people, people helped us. We believed in
something real. That’s good enough for me.”

Bev nodded quietly. The clock ticked louder, and there was a great thump
in the far distance.

“Tm scared,” she whispered.

“Me too,” he replied.

Tentatively, she took his hand. “It won't be long now,’ she murmured.

“No,” he said, “it won't? He tried to steady himself with his breathing. A few
moments passed, the gravity of them nearly overwhelming.

“Do you think it'll hurt?” she asked him, but there was nothing more to be said.
There was a horrific ashen darkness.

There was a horrific ashen light.

There was a horrific ashen darkness.

Hot Allostatic Load

M€e€TINGS

MONDAYS 6-7:30 PM

IN THE ROAR CENTER, GROUND FLoor EMU

JOIN OUR TEAM

unquestionably a
very perilous time for trans people.
With the mainstreaming and
secularization of anti-Queer rhetoric
and playing on old “save the children”
fearmongering, attacks against the
broader LGBT community have
escalated considerably in the past
few months. This is a phenomenon
that shows no sign of slowing down
anytime soon. Through both legal
restrictions and stochastic acts of
terror, there is a concerted push by all
members of the reactionary right to
expel LGBT people from public life.
At a time like this, it is
imperative that we ensure that leftist
spaces can provide refuge and safety
for trans people, some of whom may
not have support networks outside
of an organizing capacity. The online
essay Hot Allostatic Load shows what
happens when people, particularly
people of deeply vulnerable
backgrounds, are left behind in
ostensibly progressive circles; in doing
so, it shows us the unspoken pitfalls of

leftist organizing.
13

The essay, published in 2015,
is written by a chronically ill trans
woman, who describes how she was
scrutinized, ostracized, and isolated
by a “queer feminist” circle. The
title itself refers to the wear and tear
placed upon the body by chronic
stress. It is an unfortunate fact that
we on the left may not be keen to
acknowledge, but all spaces are prone
to falling into cult-like arrangements,
and ours, which commonly feature
an ethos based on political virtue,
are no exception. Hot Allostatic Load
discusses the ways in which abusers
in these spaces are able to manipulate
the linguistic perceptions and play
on pre-existing (and unspoken)
prejudices to go after their victims. In
creating a mob, abuse is decentralized,
and everyone participates against
someone that “deserves it”. Too often
we forget that the left, in building its
own institutions, can also entrench its
own harmful power structures.

While Hot Allostatic Load
was written before the rise of what we
currently know as “cancel culture’, and

I am particularly loath to even bring
up the term, I feel that it describes this
phenomenon better than most terms.
It is worth reminding the reader that
the core issues mentioned by this
essay have not gone away. “Cancel
culture” does not do unique harm
to millionaire celebrities, but rather
those who do not have a platform
to fight back, those silenced because
their voices were never all that loud
to begin with. As the essay states,
trans fems are particularly vulnerable
to these tactics of disposability. We
have few other places to go, and most
people dont really care what happens
to us.

Right now, we _— should
be organizing together, and
remembering that the most

important parts of this world are not
ideals or leaders, but regular people
with real lives. I cannot recommend
this essay enough. It is an essential
read for anyone organizing or
participating in a leftist political
project.

Seeking the Magic Mushroom—And Deciding Not to Eat It

By: Serbal Vidrio

Art by: R.S. Bliss

This spring break, I had the privilege of traveling to
Mexico, spending a few days in the capital before
heading south towards the state of Oaxaca, Mexico's
center of Indigenous culture. My first stop was the
town of Huautla de Jiménez in the Sierra Mazateca of
northern Oaxaca. If you've heard of this town, you can
guess where this story is heading. Like many before
me, I went there in search of the magic mushroom—
and, finding it, I decided not to eat it.

First, some background.

The Sierra Mazateca is a mountainous
region home to the Mazatec, an Indigenous people
who conserve a vibrant traditional culture in many
respects. They are particularly well known for a
shamanic tradition which makes extensive use of
several entheogenic plants within a medicinal system
that long predates colonial contact. Prominent among
the psychoactive medicinal plants of the Mazatec
are three classes of hallucinogens: several types of
psilocybin (“magic”) mushrooms; morning glory
seeds of the genus /pomoae (containing a chemical
similar to LSD); and Salvia divinorum, a plant in the
sage family. One of those plants would, in the mid-
twentieth century, attract the attention of the world—
and change history, both local and global, forever.

Outsiders have known of Mazatec medicinal
ceremonies since the early twentieth century, and
some were even privileged to observe them. For
example, the ethnobotanist Richard
Evan Schultes first documented
the mushroom Psilocybe mexicana
during a visit to Huautla in the
late 30s. However, the mushroom
ceremonies of the Mazatec shamans,
known as curanderos, were only first
described for a popular audience ina
1957 photo essay called “Seeking the
Magic Mushroom,” by the amateur
mycologist Gordon Wasson. Wasson
was the first Westerner known to
personally participate in a ceremony.
He did so in the town of Huautla de
Jiménez with the curandera Maria
Sabina, who was made internationally
famous after the publication of the
essay. Soon hippies began to flock
to Huautla from around the world
to partake in ceremonies with her.
She attracted Mexican hippies, too;
as it happens, the old taxi driver who
drove me from the airport when I
arrived in Mexico City had done a
ceremony with her back in the 80s. This fact surprised
me then, but perhaps I underestimated Maria Sabina’
fame after the publication of Wasson’s experience
with her.

It is important to note, however, that Maria
Sabina explicitly requested that Wasson not publicize
his documentation of the ceremony in terms that
might identify her person and location. That Wasson
did so anyway was a serious breach of ethics that was
nevertheless typical of Western scientists’ engagement
with Indigenous peoples at the time (what's more,
Wasson’s research was secretly funded by the CIA
as part of the illegal and ethically atrocious Project
MKwltra). Wasson’s indiscretion led to the opening
of the Sierra Mazateca, particularly Huautla, to
the forces of capitalist development and national
integration, catalyzing processes of deculturation
which have harmed the cultural integrity of local
communities. Maria Sabina became a divisive figure
in Huatla due to her involvement with Wasson and
the outsiders who inundated Huautla in his wake, but
before long other curanderos also began performing
ceremonies with newcomers who a few years before
wouldnt have even been allowed to witness them.
Mazatec culture was commodified as a direct result
of Wasson’s nonconsensual revelation to the world of
their ceremonies, which until then had been kept a
sacred secret for centuries.

Having done my research before my trip,
I knew most of this going in. It was, after all, the

—
rroreag | ghOOp

motivation behind the trip in the first place, and to my
knowledge few foreigners go to Huautla for anything
but to partake in the mushroom ceremonies. I wanted
to see for myself what I had only read about; I wanted
to participate in a ceremony. Armed with my reading
and my partial anthropological training, I was
convinced that although I was traveling to Huautla
for the same reason as any other white visitor, I was
doing so with more respect and understanding of the
local context than most. I’m not like other tourists, I
thought.

As soon as I stepped off the bus upon arriving
to Huautla, the town’s identification with mushrooms
was obvious; mushroom icons bracket the name of the
town on the arch which stretches over the entrance
to the bus station, while a short walk away there's a
plaza alongside the road into town which has a giant
mushroom statue as its centerpiece. When checking
into our hotel, the receptionist asked if we came for a
ceremony. And the next morning, while looking for
breakfast in the central market, a man approached my
companion and I offering a ceremony at a discount,
claiming his father was a respected curandero. Later
that day, we ascended the mountain to reach the
Museo Casa de Maria Sabina, where the famous
curandera’s great-great-grandson (¢ataranieto) gave
us a tour of her house before likewise offering to
connect us with shamans for a ceremony that same
evening. At the same time, the receptionist back in the

prilocybe y yneni cana

hotel was reaching out on our behalf to the daughters
of another famous curandera, the recently deceased
Julieta Casimiro, affectionately known as Mama Julia.
And our taxi drivers on our trips up and down the
hilly streets of Huautla invariably also spoke to us
of mushrooms and curanderos. In Huautla, it seems
that everyone knows what foreigners are there for—
and some are eager to sell it to them.

Despite learning much from my conversations
with locals, both those involved in the mushroom
tourism industry and others, a feeling that something
here was not quite right dogged me during my several
days in Huautla. Although I went to Huautla with
the intention of participating in a ceremony, I found
myself growing increasingly uncertain about the
prospect. By the end of a full day in Huautla, after
having been offered three different ceremonies (at
three different prices), I decided that I was not going
to partake. But why?

It wasn't that I thought partaking in a
ceremony would be disrespectful in some way to those
offering me the chance. After all, everyone I talked to
seemed surprised and disappointed at my decision
not to partake—one man even seemed offended
(perhaps the disrespectful thing was to refuse?). Nor
was it the price, although it was admittedly hefty; I
received three offers for prices between $50 and $100,
which is a significant sum in one of Mexico’s poorest
states, and for me as well—though one I was willing
to pay for such an at a It wasn't even that I

salvig, divinaninn /

didn't relish the idea of taking mind-altering drugs in
an unfamiliar physical and cultural setting and in the
company of someone I didn’t know. No, my decision
not to partake—and it came after much deliberation,
and not without some regret—came from a place of
honesty. Let me explain.

Often in travel, and in anthropology, one has
occasion to ask oneself, What am I doing here? In
my experience, the answer is often unclear. I feel that
I travel (and study anthropology) in part to expose
myself to realities different from those familiar to
me—in order, to borrow an old anthropological
aphorism, to make the strange familiar and the
familiar strange—and to grow from the experience.
It’s true that psychedelics can have the same effect;
the word itself means “mind manifesting,” referring
to Alduous Huxley's notion that psychedelics could
be used to chart hitherto unexplored regions of
consciousness. But what must be recognized is that
in both cases—as a traveler or anthropologist and as
someone under the influence of psychedelics—one is
always something of a tourist, always a visitor soon
to be on their way. There is a sense that one is even
a voyeur (as all tourists are). There is an arrogance
in thinking one can have access as a tourist—and as
far as locals were concerned, I was a tourist whether
I wanted to think of myself as such or not—to the
type of “authentic” cultural experience that tourists
and anthropologists alike seek out. When I say that
my decision came from a place of
honesty, I mean that it was dishonest
to imagine that my experience
would somehow be different from
that of any other white tourist. The
“authentic” experience is precisely
what tourists desperately want access
to but are never granted. I have only
tried to spot the difference between
authenticity and simulacrum with a
more discerning eye than the typical
tourist.

But it’s not just the question
of “authenticity, whatever that
means, that made me hesitate. After
all, if there’s one thing cultures do, it’s
change—so who am I to suggest that
the ceremonies foreign tourists have
access to are “inauthentic” simulacra
of some inaccessible “original”? Does
it matter if they are (or, if they are,
that the tourists in question don't
realize it)? Perhaps not. But also
relevant is the question of what it
means to participate being who I am. I could not
escape the feeling that, even though the locals I talked
to were clearly enthusiastic about my participation,
to partake would be to contribute to a process of
deculturation that began with Wasson’s unethical
publication of the secrets of the Mazatec mushroom
ceremonies. Today the local economy is dependent on
the tourism industry that has resulted, but Mazatec
cultural integrity has suffered by the same token. And
although it seemed to me that those I talked to really
did want me to partake, could it be that the consent
I thought I saw was really manufactured? After all,
their ancestors of Maria Sabina’s generation and for
centuries before would not have been so inviting.
Although to pay for a ceremony would be to support
the local economy, would it also be to support or even
to justify that process of cultural transformation and
commodification? To me, honesty also meant asking
myself this difficult question in light of local history
and my own identity.

A few years ago, I found myself in a similar
situation while interviewing shamans in the Sibundoy
Valley of southwest Colombia. The valley is home to
Indigenous shamans, locally known as fajitas, who
frequently administer the entheogenic brew known
as ayahuasca in Peru and yajé in Colombia in the
context of curing and divining ceremonies. Although
the traditional use of yajé in this region, as elsewhere
across the Amazon basin, is likely millennia old, in
recent decades the brew has attracted the interest

Continues on next page...

Its a Gay Thing

Written & Illustrated By: Molly

in full drama.

as implicitness rather

“The Queens Throat”

isn't real life; this is opera.

is forbidden from Octavius due to his rank and is fated to marry Ochs, played by a man.

a knowing look. It nods to the homosexuality of
Greek mythology that would be fresher in the minds
of it twentieth century audience. Hyacinths sprouted
from the dead body of Apollo's gay lover. Seeing two
women flirt on stage struck me with both familiarity
and alienation. Their relationship reminded me of
the subtleties in gay relationships I had experienced.
However, I hadn't seen a gay relationship validated
by the amount of effort and sophistication necessary
for a successful opera.

The delicate architecture of the set, the expensive
chandeliers, and perfect clothes place these gay
lovers within the constructs of success in a European
paradigm. They are idealized. And just like straight
lovers, their affection is too. It frees their love of the
shame that is charicteristic of lesbian relations. This
is catharsis.

There are countless operas rich with homosexual
activity outside of Der Rosenkavalier. Seeing how
opera provided opportunities not only for expression,
but validation of lesbian desire, it is not surprising
that sapphics have long flocked to opera houses.
They became arenas of solidarity and identification
validated by the imagery of hegemonic success.
However, just like theater and disco, the gay roots
of this genre would be slowly erased by history. Safe
spaces and symbols of solidarity are vital for sexual
minorities because their difference is invisible. The
repeated appropriation of culture creates vagabond
gay individuals with no way to identify one another.

The UO Womens Center Proudly Presents the 44th Annual

Contact SVPEWC@gmail.com for more information.

15

Continued from last page

: of non-Indigenous New Age hippie types from around the world.
: The consequence has been the emergence of an ayahuasca tourism
: industry that in some regions has disrespected the reverence in

: which Indigenous communities hold the vine and its traditional uses.

Historically, music has been : {py other cases, a proliferation of non-Indigenous charlatans calling

defined as mystery and miasma, : themselves shamans to cater to clueless tourists has put real shamans

than : out of business. Essentially, what happened in Western Amazonia

explicitness, and so we (gays and : yirrors what occurred in the Sierra Mazateca: the emergence of a

lesbians] have hid inside music: : toyrism industry that caters to narcissistic white hippies seeking to

in music we can come out without : extract “exotic” spiritual experiences—or just a novel high—from

coming out, we can reveal without : Ypdigenous traditions about which they know and care nothing at

saying a word” - Koestenbaum, : all. They come, they get high, they leave. The only real exchange that
: takes place is of money, symbolically signaling the commodification

: of ancient traditions.

In real life, the love of a woman :
is the privilege of a man. Love like :
this, at least. Love that comes out : when J arrived in the Sibundoy Valley, after meeting with several

in belting moans, delicate touches, : shamans I decided not to for some of the same reasons as informed

and knowing smiles. You've never : my decision in Mexico. Like in Mexico, there was some regret

felt this kind of love with hundreds = attached to this decision, but in hindsight I feel that it was the right

of eyes on you, and without shame. : choice. Now I am conducting a long-term research project in the

VA As the hum of violins grows louder, = sibundoy Valley, I still feel that if I were to be offered participation

~ you fall into a woman's arms under = in q yajé ceremony today, I would hesitate as I did before. At what

the warmth of the stage lights. This : yoint is one more than a tourist; at what point can one be sure that

: no harm is being done? These are questions of personal as much as

: of anthropological ethics. Many anthropologists, like many tourists,

There werent many safe social : partake of rituals not their own with the permission and even

spaces for lesbians and gays in : enthusiasm of locals. But, for now, not this one.

the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Oscar Wilde’s dramatic disappearance from the :
public sphere made the lesson clear —a love letter in the hands of the wrong person could :

spell the end of your life. “The Closet” was internalized even more than it is now; people saw : be aware of the colonial foundations of the discipline, of the function

themselves as unworthy of being seen, yet still unquestionably yearned for it. It is a human : that it has often served in extracting knowledge from colonized

need. Opera provided a perfect avenue for the nineteenth-century lesbian to hold her lover in : Others on behalf of colonial power. Anthropology has come a long

the public eye without uttering the awful word. And her sorrows could reach the full extent of : way since its birth in the colonies of the European empires, but a

their expression as her deep mourning filled the opera house-her feelings were explicit but her : critical awareness of the harm the discipline has done, and in some

motivation remained hidden. This is the case with Der Rosenkalavier, an opera by Strauss first: cases continues to perpetuate, must be fostered by those seeking to

performed in 1911. Octavian is the graceful male lover of Sophie von Faninal, and is always : practice a better anthropology. It has been said that anthropologists

played by a female. Participating actresses got the opportunity to express their love for women : are essentially professional tourists. This generalization may be

: unfair to the best anthropologists situated in the best modern

Der Rosenkavalier is of a certain comedic style characteristic of its era rich with themes : traditions of the discipline, but nevertheless it gets at something that

familiar to gay youth. Octavian spends a good amount of the play pretending to be something : anthropologists often prefer to ignore, namely the voyeurism that

he is not. He scrambles into women's clothing after being caught with his lover, Sophie, acting : anthropology and tourism have in common. It’s true that I showed

as a maid. He spends a night with another man, but it only makes him love Sophie more. To : up in Huautla preferring to think of myself as an anthropologist more

Octavius and Sophie, their love is immensely valuable precisely because it is dangerous; Sophie : interested in cultures than in drugs, more than just another hippie

: tourist ignorant of the local context, but I came to realize that my

When they fall in love during Act 2, Sophie calls Octavian her “hyacinth” and they exchange : jntentions didnt really matter, What mattered was coming to grips

Although I was interested in participating in a yajé ceremony

Anyone situated in the discipline of anthropology today must

with what my presence there
meant being who I am, with
the harm that my discipline and
its agents have done to people
like the Mazatec and places like
Huautla—and realizing that
in some capacity, whatever I
liked to think of myself and my
reasons, I was unavoidably a
part of that legacy. Above all else,
honesty meant acknowledging
that reality and modifying my
behavior accordingly. And if
you, dear reader, should find
yourself playing the tourist in
some place like Huautla, where
legacies of colonial exploitation
underlie seemingly innocent
and inviting appearances, I
hope you confront that reality
too.

I left Huautla de Jiménez with
a feeling of ambiguity. I had
found what I came for and
discovered that it was not all I
expected. This, too, is common
in my experience of travel. It is
up to the responsible traveler
to integrate such experiences
(or, as in this story, non-
experiences) much as _ one
integrates the experience of
psychedelic trips. This account,
written in the afterglow of my
trip to Mexico, is my attempt at
integration, of interpreting what
it means that I sought the magic
mushroom—and decided not to
eat it.

Co-sponsored by

UO Muxeres,

UO Alpha Chi Omega,
Hope & Safety Alliance,
and Green Garter Band

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